Support stock for an annular article



1969 J. c. RAYMOND 3,463,519

SUPPORT STOCK FOR AN ANNULAR ARTICLE Filed cm. 16, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTflR {4 M w Lam wmurm ATTaRA/EYS Aug. 26, 1969 J. c. RAYMOND 3, 9

SUPPORT STOCK FOR AN ANNULAR ARTICLE Filed Oct. 16. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 wc-wT fl JTToRl/EVJ United States Patent 3,463,519 SUPPORT STOCK FOR AN ANNULAR ARTICLE John Charles Raymond, London, England, assignor to Molins Machine Company Limited, London, England, a corporation of Great Britain Filed Oct. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 675,452 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 20, 1966, 47,093/ 66 Int. Cl. F16d 1/06; F16c 3/10; B60b 27/06 US. Cl. 287--52.07 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A stock having a hub for carrying bobbins of web material, especially cigarette paper for cigarette-making machines, and having a locking mechanism comprising a plurality of fingers movable out of the hub to clamp a bobbin against a stop under the action of a locking ring, to facilitate the removal and replacement of bobbins.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a stock for an annular or generally annular article and is particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with a stock which can be used as a holder for a bobbin of, for example, strip material.

In machines which feed continuously running webs of strip material, such for example as a cigarette-making machine in which a cigarette paper web is fed continuously from a bobbin, it is necessary to have a holder for the bobbin which is provided with means to lock the bobbin in place and which can quickly and easily be operated to remove an old bobbin and fit a new bobbin.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved stock for an annular article which is particularly suitable for use as a holder for such a bobbin.

Summary of the invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided for supporting an annular article a stock over which the article is movable to encompass the stock and which comprises first stop means to limit movement of the article in one direction along the stock, and a releasable locking mechanism which comprises one or more retractable locking elements operable to provide second step means to prevent movement of the article in the other direction whereby the article is confined between the first and second stop means, and operating means movable to control the movement of the locking elements.

Preferably the locking elements are operable to urge the article to be clamped against the first stop means. Conveniently the locking elements are provided with cam surfaces and are arranged to engage with cam followers to assist in clamping the article. Preferably the stock is hollow and partially encloses the locking mechanism. The locking elements can be carried on a member movable within the stock axially thereof under the control of the operating means, and extend through slots formed in the stock to engage the article. With advantage the cam followers can then be arranged to be formed by edges of the slots and spring means can be provided to urge the locking elements into engagement with these edges.

Preferably the stock and the article are of circular shape and the stock is provided with means to be mountable for rotation.

Brief description of the drawing One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a bobbin holder carrying a bobbin,

FIGURE 2 is an end view, looking from the left as it is shown in the drawing of the bobbin holder shown in FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a view on the line lII--III of FIGURE 1.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to the drawing, the bobbin holder comprises a stock having a housing in the form of a hub 1 of circular shape which is a close-sliding fit within the core of a bobbin 2 charged with material. The hub 1 has a peripheral flange 3 constituting a stop means, against which the bobbin 2 abuts, and is provided with three slots 4 through which extend locking fingers 5 of a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism comprises a carrier 6 having a first part in the form of an annular plate to which each of the three locking fingers 5 is pivoted at 7, and a second part in the form of a threaded cylindrical extension 15 which passes through a central aperture in the hub 3 and which carries a knurled and internally threaded locking ring 8. A circular groove 9 is formed around the inner surface of the first portion of the carrier 6 to accommodate one end of a spring 10, the other end of which acts against the inside face of the hub 1 to urge the locking mechanism out of the hub up to a certain limit.

One face 5 of each of the fingers 5 is urged into engagement with an edge of its corresponding slot 4 either by means of a leaf spring 11 acting about the pivot 7 or by means of a coil spring 16 engaging lugs 17 on the fingers 5. The edge-engaging face 5' of each finger is cammed to control the pivoting of the finger about the pivot 7 as the carrier 6 is moved to lock the bobbin on the holder. A stop 12 is provided to prevent the locking ring 8 from being inadvertently removed from the carrier.

Accommodated within the carrier 6 is an axially extending mounting sleeve 13 provided at one end with a thrust race 14 which together constitute means for mounting the bobbing and bobbin holder on a shaft and can cooperate with positioning means to adjust the position of the assembly along the shaft. The threaded extension 15 of the carrier 6 is formed with axially extending slots, and lugs 21 are formed on the sleeve 13 to project radially through these slots. Thus, as the locking ring 8 is tightened by screwing it along the extension 15, the lugs 21 are clamped against the hub 1 and this locates the sleeve 13 in position with respect to the hub 1. Engagement of the locking ring -8 with the lugs 21 as they lie against the hub 1 also limits the movement of the locking mechanism out of the hub.

In operation, in order to mount a bobbin on the bobbin holder, locking ring 8 is unscrewed to allow the carrier 6 to move its full extent to the left, FIGURE 1, under the action of the spring 10, so as to retract the fingers 5 to a position where they do not project beyond the periphery of the hub, so that the bobbin 2 can easily he slipped on to the hub 1 against the stop 3. The locking ring 8 is now screwed up and bears against the lugs 21 bearing against the hub 1 so that continued rotation of the locking ring 8 draws the carrier 6 into the hub, i.e. towards the right in FIGURE 1, against the action of spring 10. This movement pushes the fingers 5 out through the slots 4, the edges of which, acting in cooperation with the cam surfaces 5' on the fingers 5, cause the fingers to be moved out radially to engage with the edge of the bobbin and to clamp it firmly against the flange 3, the fingers 5 thus acting as stop means to prevent movement of the bobbin off the hub. To release the bobbin the locking ring 8 is unscrewed so that the spring 10 pushes the carrier along the sleeve 13 towards the left, FIGURE 1, and retracts the fingers 5 within the huh I so that the bobbin can readily be slipped off the bobbin holder.

As an alternative the locking ring 8 can be replaced by a quick-release locking device in the form of a collar slidable along the extension 15, which need not be threaded, and having a spring-loaded press-release catch engageable with the extension of the carrier 6.

It will be appreciated that the invention provides a neat and convenient bobbin holder which can be operated very quickly and easily and which, in particular, has the advantage that it is not necessary to remove any parts to enable bobbins to be removed and refitted. In addition the arrangement of the fingers 5 is such that their articleengaging surfaces lie on a cone and thus act to centre the bobbin 2 on the holder.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A stock for supporting an annular article, said stock having a housing over which the article is movable to encompass the stock, first stop means to limit movement of the article in one direction along the stock, and a seco 1d stop means to prevent movement of the article in the opposite direction, said second stop means including a releasable locking mechanism comprising at least one retractable locking element for engaging the article, a slot through which each said locking element extends, operating means movable to control the movement of the locking elements and a member movable within said housing under control of said operating means, each said locking element being secured to said member.

2. A stock according to claim 1 wherein an edge of each of said slots in said housing serves as a cam follower and each said locking element is provided with a cam surface, said locking mechanism further comprising spring means operatively connected to each of said locking elements to urge the cam surfaces of said locking elements into engagement with said edges.

3. A stock for supporting a bobbin, said stock having a circular housing over which the bobbin is movable to encompass the stock, said housing being flanged at one end to provide a first stop means, and a second stop means to prevent movement of the bobbin in the opposite direction, said second stop means including a releasable locking mechanism comprising a carrier disposed within the housing and having a cylindrical portion extending out of the other end of the housing from the flanged end, spring means acting between the carrier and the housing to urge the carrier along the housing in the direction towards the flanged end, a locking ring carried outside the housing on the extended portion of the carrier and movable relative thereto to control the movement of the carrier under the action of the spring, a plurality of locking elements in the form of fingers pivoted to the carrier, and a plurality of slots in the periphery of said housing through which said fingers extend to engage the bobbin, said fingers being cammed against the edge of the slots so that movement of the carrier in one direction engages the fingers with the bobbin to clamp it against the flange, and movement of the carrier in the opposite direction retracts the fingers into the slots so that the bobbin can be moved on and off the housing.

4. A stock according to claim 3 wherein a sleeve extends through the carrier and is secured to the housing to provide means for mounting the carrier for rotation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,882,078 4/1959 MacDonald 287-53 FOREIGN PATENTS 956,133 4/1964 Great Britain.

NATHAN L. MINTZ, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 28753 

